Jake's mischievous streak as Prince of Persia

Game creator Jordan Mechner comments on the adaptation.

-Mechner: It's true. My brother actually was the model for the original animations in the first Prince of Persia game back in 1985 when he was in high school. He wasn't a very good athlete even then, and he hasn't really gotten any better. He was disappointed, but no, Jake really did his own stunt work. -So, why did you choose Jake Gyllenhaal for this role?

-Mechner: I can talk about why I think Jake is great in the role. I know that he is really into the games and took that very seriously.

-Bruckheimer: He trained very hard for this film. He really transformed his body. He really did. He worked really hard. He trained every single day for months, and all during filming he was training to physically look like the character. So I think that is a big part of what he was doing in his look.

-Mechner: I know he was speaking with a British accent in between takes. "[Gyllenhaal] had more muscles than his stunt doubles." At the end of my first day on set, driving back to base camp, I saw him jogging. After this long day of 125 degree heat, he went for a jog. He had more muscles than his stunt doubles.-But as far as the role, as far as who the Prince is: to me the Prince of Persia has always been a swashbuckling hero in the vein of Indiana Jones, Doug Fairbanks, Errol Flynn. He is not like the kind of video game hero who is out to vanquish all his enemies. He has got like an intelligence, a mischievous streak. Sort of an underdog. He has got a vulnerability. I think Jake just embodies all those qualities and captured them in a way that is very appealing". Source: www.joystiq.com